Until the very end
by xDamnedSoulx
Summary: My first fanfiction story so don't expect much! It's mostly a Bellamort story and it starts with Bellatrix becoming a Deatheater...
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

A tear of joy and excitement ran down her cheek. She could not believe it. At last one of her greatest ambitions had just been fulfilled. She could not find the appropriate words to express her feelings, her gratefulness for that man; in fact, it was not just gratefulness but that was not the case at that moment. So she kept staring at her left arm unable to utter a single word.

After a few moments of complete silence she managed to take her eyes off her arm and set them to the man that was standing a few steps away from her. The man to whom she would have to be loyal from now on, for the rest of her life. To whom she had been loyal for the last few years even though he was not aware of it. Her master. The Dark Lord. Voldemort.

"Thank you… my Lord." she murmured stressing the last two words as if she could not believe that she was able to pronounce them. "I won't let you down. I'm never going to let you down." she added, looking steadily in his eyes.

He looked her back with a blatant smile on his face. "I'm sure you won't… Bella." he said in delight.

The woman blushed in the sound of her nickname, exactly as he had expected. A short laugh came out of his mouth. He had been observing the woman's reactions for the last few minutes and had been really amused by them. He loved to see his followers being dedicated to him but this woman exceeded his expectations. She was exactly what he needed. A follower willing to risk everything for him, even her life and he did not intend to lose her now he had found her.

"I'm sure you'll honor your Mark 'till the day you die… love." he continued and his last word came out as a whisper so she could barely hear it.

"I…I will" she stammered rather shocked, unsure of what she'd heard and she blushed even more.

Voldemort, of course, noticed her frustration and suppressed his impulse to laugh. That was exactly his intention anyway. He slowly walked closer to her and took her arm in his hand. He examined the mark he had just made with his wand with an enigmatic expression on his face. It was the same as always, a skull with a snake coming out if its mouth, with about the length of her forearm. Her pale skin was rather red in that area and he guessed that she would feel a slight burn. There was no reason really in doing that but he knew the effect it would have on the woman and he decided to entertain himself a little bit.

As Voldemort had expected Bellatrix's cheeks were now fiery red and she was standing still, afraid to make the slightest move. She would almost even hold her breath as if she was afraid that breathing would make her lose her balance. Her heart was pounding so fast she thought that it would rip off her chest.

Voldemort inclined his head close to hers and set his eyes first on her lips and then on her eyes. He opened his mouth slightly and he felt Bellatrix freeze completely under his grasp.

"You can go now, Bella." he finally said. "If I need anything… I'll… let you know." he added and pressed his finger on her Mark. A subtle shriek came out of the woman's mouth as she could feel her skin burning under Voldemort's touch.

"O...of course… my Lord." she replied as calmly as she could and Voldemort let her arm go.

Bellatrix backed off a little bit, bowed slightly and exited the room. A sardonic smile was now painted on Voldemort's mouth. After a few moments a characteristic _crack _broke the silence. Bellatrix had apparated.


	2. Chapter 2

**_A/N: Thank you very much for your reviews! It really means a lot to me since this is my first attempt to write a fanfiction story! I hope the fact that English is not my native language is not that obvious in my writing. Feel free to correct my English! :)_**

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><p><strong>Chapter 2<strong>

_Crack._

She appeared in her bedroom stumbling and she barely managed to maintain her balance. She hurried to reach the bed, sat on its edge and, hopelessly, tried to put her thoughts in some order. She was overwhelmed with so many different feelings and was feeling rather dizzy. All the things that took place in her meeting with Voldemort had caused her a great deal of frustration and made it unable for her to relax.

"_Love"? That's impossible! No. I must certainly have misheard what he said._ No matter how much Voldemort trusted her, he undoubtedly would never get connected with her, or with any of his followers, in that way. It was ridiculous even thinking about it.

"He is my master for goodness sake! That's absurd!" she sighed in an attempt to rationalize herself.

She stood up and started walking back and forth in the room. All these thoughts made her feel restless. She had to take all that distress out on something… or somebody… She gave a strong kick to a small wooden chest that was lying next to the bed as she was passing by and it cracked open with a deafening sound. Smaller boxes, pieces of parchment and some photographs got scattered all over the floor.

"Shit!" she groaned and took out her wand. "Reparo" she murmured and with a slight move of her hand the broken chest was fixed. The moment she bent down to put the things that had come out of it back to place, she heard a low voice coming right out the door.

"Bella? Is that you?"

"Yes! It's me!" she yelled and rolled her eyes in despair. _Oh no! Not him! _she thought. _Not now!_

Rodolphus entered the room with a wide smile on his face. With all that stuff going on Bellatrix had totally forgotten that her husband was waiting for her to return after Voldemort had called her in the middle of the night. He was the last person she wanted to see at that moment.

Although they had been married for a couple of years now, she'd never had the slightest tender feeling for him. She married him only because her family pressured her as he was coming from a fellow pure-blood family. He was more like a friend and, when it came to fight, a capable partner to her. However, he seemed to have very strong feelings for her and he was unwilling to accept that she would never return them.

"What happened, darling?" Rodolphus asked her curiously.

She hurried to put the things back to the chest and then she stood up.

"I heard some noise and I thought that this stupid house elf would have broken something again. Is everything alright?" he added while giving examining looks to the wooden chest.

"Yes. Everything is okay. I was just tidying up a little bit." she replied indifferently.

Rodolphus gave her a suspicious look but he had more important things to ask in his mind. Besides, he was used to his wife's eccentric behavior and he preferred to stay out of her personal matters as he was aware of her bad temper.

"So how did it go? What did he want?" he asked impatiently "Was it what we had expected?"

"Yes!" Bellatrix exclaimed in delight and she hitched up her sleeve to show him the Dark Mark that was glowing on her left forearm.

"I am now a Death Eater!" she added and her whole face shined with excitement.

Only now that she had said it out loud she truly realized what had happened and suddenly she was flooded by a wave of relief and happiness. A childish smile was painted on her face and tears of contentment sparkled in her eyes.

"That's great!" Rodolphus said smiling. "I knew he would accept you!" he added with pride and made a few steps to get close to her.

"I think that we might get another call from him soon. I believe that you are next." Bellatrix said apathetically. She didn't care about anything else now. She had become a Death Eater and it was a fact.

Rodolphus noticed the dreamy expression she had and decided to remain silent. Instead, he took her one hand into his and with his other hand he wiped off a tear that ran down her cheek. Bellatrix got surprised by his touch and it was like she woke abruptly from a deep sleep. It took her a few moments to realize what was going on and then she set her eyes on Rodolphus rather disappointed, with a blank expression on her face.

They stayed there for a while staring at each other and then Rodolphus inclined his head and kissed her gently. Bellatrix reluctantly returned his kiss. She had been through a lot that day and even though she was not interested in Rodolphus it was nice to have someone there to take her distress away. Rodolphus astounded by his wife's reaction to his display of affection deepened the kiss and tied his arms around her. She responded and tightened his hug.

"What a pleasant surprise, love!" Rodolphus whispered a few moments later while stroking her hair.

She did not reply but she slipped her one hand in his and grabbed it decisively. She led him to the bed and pushed him down on it.

Bellatrix climbed on top of her husband and started undressing him under his surprised look… She could think nothing but Voldemort.

A faint glow lit the sky near the horizon. The sun was rising.


	3. Chapter 3

**_**A/N: Thank you very much once again for your lovely reviews! You've no idea how much it means to me!**_**

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><p><strong>Chapter 3<strong>

Bellatrix woke up late in the morning with a terrible headache. The house was quiet. _Rodolphus is not at home_ she assumed. _Rodolphus… _and suddenly she recalled everything that had happened the previous night. She groaned with despair and whimpered cursing. Her head was now pounding with pain. She was in an extremely bad mood…

"You were right! He called me!" Rodolphus exclaimed joyfully later on that day as soon as he got back. He rolled up the left sleeve of his cloak to reveal a Dark Mark identical to that of his wife.

"Yeah. Okay." Bellatrix mumbled indifferently and with her back turned to her husband she started walking towards the door of the kitchen. Her headache still persisted.

Rodolphus made some steps to get close to her and opened his arms in an attempt to give her a hug but she had already reached the door and had gotten out of the room.

She hated the fact that after what had happened the previous night Rodolphus thought that she had given him the permission to be affectionate and loving with her. She had totally regretted what she had done but all that distress and frustration… Voldemort… had upset her to the point she had somehow lost control… yeah…Voldemort…Her master…

"You know I was not the only one that was chosen." continued Rodolphus that had followed her to the hallway, in the same delightful manner. "There was also Evan Rosier, Yaxley and Travers. It was like a "group recruitment" and from what I heard that's how he usually does it."

Bellatrix stopped walking and turned her head to Rodolphus with an indecipherable expression. "What do you mean?" she asked calmly and gently rubbed her temples.

"I mean that it's kind of strange that when he turned you into a Death Eater there was no one else there, in the ritual." Rodolphus explained happy that he had somehow drawn his wife's attention. "You know… there were only you and Voldemort…alone… The others thought it was a bit weird as well." he continued "It was like he gave you a… special treatment…"

"Special treatment, huh?" Bellatrix pointed out starring at him blankly. Her headache had miraculously disappeared. She was lost in her thoughts. Voldemort had treated her differently from the rest of his followers. _That, certainly, should mean something…_ At that thought she couldn't help a conceitedsmile.

"Yes. It is strange indeed, don't you think? It must mean that he sees something special in you. And if you ask my opinion, I think that the others were a little jealous. Ha ha! Yeah. He certainly sees something in you. You should be honored!" Rodolphus went on but Bellatrix wouldn't listen.

Once again she was overwhelmed by the same mixed feelings. Excitement and relief, yet insecurity and doubt. Was there a certain reason why Voldemort favored her…? He knew that she was deeply loyal to him and that she would do anything he asked but did this "special treatment" mean that he expected more from her? How should she handle this? _That man certainly knows how to play with me and he enjoys it. That's for sure._

"Did he tell you anything out of the ordinary in your meeting? Perhaps something that indicated… why this "special treatment"?" Rodolphus asked impatiently. No reply. Bellatrix was starring with an empty look somewhere at the wall behind him.

"Um… Bella?" he insisted nervously.

"What?" she was jolted back to present. "Ah … Um… no." she replied blinking. _Did he? No… not of what __Ι__ can recall._ _No… he just said he knew he could rely on me…Nothing more…_

"Oh ok…" said Rodolphus rather disappointed and quickly changed the subject of discussion in an attempt to keep the conversation going… "I hope you haven't forgotten that today your parents have invited us for dinner…?" he asked with doubt.

"Oh no!" she sighed "…Right. Cissy got back for the Christmas break yesterday…"

A few hours later they were entering the Black Manor where an overexcited Narcissa welcomed themwarmly.

"I'm so happy to see you Bella!" she exclaimed "How are you doing? Good to see you too, Rodolphus!"

A rather young and not so weary house elf bowed low to them and immediately offered to take their cloaks. Both Bellatrix and Rodolphus handed their cloaks to the elf without even looking at it and proceeded to the dining room…

"Isn't sad that Andromeda chose to abandon her family for such a silly reason?" Narcissa stated a few moments later at the dinner table and gave a sad look to an empty chair to her right.

"Each is responsible for his own actions." stated Druella Black. "She made her choice. By dating this mudblood she betrayed her family and must now pay the price. She's a blood traitor and this we cannot forgive unless she truly repents."

"Yeah but still, it's sad that she did that…"said Narcissa in disappointment.

"Speaking of traitors, Narcissa told us that your cousin, Sirius, has been sorted into Gryffindor! Did you know it, Bella?" asked Cygnus. "Imagine it… a member of the Black family in Gryffindor! Something must be wrong with that kid." he added and took a big sip of his drink.

"No, father. I haven't been informed. Walburga and Orion must feel really embarrassed… At least they should be." Bellatrix replied.

"Indeed!" Rodolphus agreed "That's without precedent in your family!"

"Let's hope that little Regulus won't suffer the same fate…" noted Narcissa.

It was time for the desert and an aged house-elf, in a definitely worse condition than the one that welcomed them, entered the dining room trying to balance a giant tray on its hands. After it took some steps it tripped and the tray quaked precariously.

"Be careful you idiot thing!" Druella yelled "If you drop anything I'll make sure you'll regret every second of it!"

"I'm terribly sorry madam." The house elf mumbled in a trembling voice and served the plates starting with Bellatrix and Rodolphus.

"You'd better be!" she retorted. "So… Bella, tell us your news, darling. How are things going?" she continued in a calm tone and set her eyes on her older daughter.

Suddenly, Bellatrix felt a strong twinge in her left arm as if someone had stabbed her and barely managed not to scream.

"Is everything alright, darling?" asked Cygnus nervously having noticed the painful expression his daughter had.

"Um…yes…Could you excuse me for a minute?" she asked and hurried to get out of the room passing by the house-elf with such force that it almost fell to the ground.

She headed to the staircase, went up the black marble steps and entered the first door she found as soon as she got to the upper floor. Narcissa's bedroom. She closed the door behind her and then hitched up her sleeve. Her mark had become darker and she thought she saw the snake in the mouth of the skull moving slightly. Now her arm was burning in the same way it did when Voldemort had pressed it with his finger. She panicked. _My master is waiting for me! _In that thought she quickly opened the door again, ran down the stairs and got in the dining room without wasting a minute. She leaned against the door frame to take a breath and opened her mouth.

"I'm terribly sorry mother, father" she said turning her head to each of them respectively "but I must leave. Cissy…" but stopped short in the middle of her sentence as she realized there was no time for explanations. Voldemort was waiting for her. For the servant he seemed to trust more than anyone. "…Take care." She added hastily ignoring Rodolphus completely. She left the room, once again, leaving them all shocked and disapparated.


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N: **I'm so sorry for the delay in updating but I've been really busy this period. ****In addition, I didn't like at all this new chapter and was thinking to delete it and rewrite it... but I didn't have the courage to do it... so ****I kept making corrections , deleting stuff and rewriting...I'm not really fond of the outcome but I couldn't do anything better at this point. I'm really ****looking forward to reading your reviews!****_

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><p><strong>Chapter 4<strong>

She appeared in the middle of the same, room she had been two nights before. Only this time it was empty of furniture and the candles of the giant black crystal chandelier that was hanging exactly above her head were not lit. In fact the whole room would've been drenched in total darkness if there were not a massive arch in the wall right in front of her that let in the _faint glow_of the crescent _moon._

_She stood there for a while, in complete silence, staring outside the gigantic arch where a balcony made of dark stone could barely be distinguished. She had a feeling that something was going wrong. ___He___ should be waiting for her right there. What had happened? And this total silence was pretty awkward. The time was passing. He had called her and was now waiting for her. And he didn't like waiting… Did she do anything wrong? Perhaps she disapparated in the wrong place… ___But how can this be?___ She started feeling a little uncomfortable. She was certain that somebody was watching her. She wished it was him. Her stomach churned with anxiety and tightened into a knot. ___And what if it is him?___ Did he expect from her to do something specific?_

_ Her eyes wandered nervously around the room but she couldn't see anything further from where the weak moonbeam fell. He should be somewhere around there._

_"My Lord? You…you called me?" she asked hesitantly and her voice echoed in the empty room. No reply. She looked at the arch again and suddenly felt a strong urge to get outside, to the balcony. All her fear had just vanished. She was now stuck on the idea that something was waiting for her out there. _

_She determinedly started walking towards the arch and her steps echoed hollowly. She didn't seem to bother. The moonlight highlighted her features in her every step and a slight breeze ruffled her hair gently. The woman was walking steadily, rather mechanically, with a vacant look on her face, completely devoid of emotion. She finally got out. It was snowing. Soon, several small snowflakes had fallen all over her wavy hair and were slowly melting. She walked straight to the edge of the balcony without turning her head to look around._

_ The moment she reached the edge a cold wave spread all over her body and chilled her through to her bones with such a force that caused her pain. She felt as if she was waking up from a deep sleep and it took her a few moments to realize where she was and what she was doing there. ___What happened? How did I get here? ___She thought, quickly turning her head to give nervous looks all around. No one was there… It was a freezing cold night and she had forgotten her cloak to her parents' house. The emerald velvet dress she was wearing left her shoulders fully exposed and wasn't helping much in protecting her from the cold. She started trembling. She quickly wrapped her arms around her body in an attempt to keep herself warm and started walking back to the room._

_"You… disappoint me… Bella." She heard an overly familiar voice coming from inside the room. She froze… and this time not because of the cold. _

_An indistinct figure emerged slowly from the shadows inside the building. In a few moments Voldemort was standing a few steps away from her in front of the arch, wearing a long black velvet cloak which reached the floor. _

_"I thought that…" he continued but left his sentence incomplete as he looked at her more carefully "Oh! Did I interrupt something, Bellatrix? Where have you been all dressed up like that?" he asked sarcastically nodding his head to her dress. _

_In spite of the cold, Bellatrix felt her cheeks get hot as they turned a rather red color. _

_She was once again unable to utter a single word. She opened her mouth but no voice came out. _

_"What is it, Bella? I think I asked you something" Voldemort insisted and she saw his eyes sparkle playfully under the moon._

_She gulped and opened her mouth again. "I…I was at my parents'…for dinner." she finally managed to say, still trembling from the cold. _

_"Oh! Of course! Your little sister got back from Hogwarts and you all gathered together to celebrate it!" he said ironically. _

_Bellatrix remained silent._

_ "So, tell me Bella, have you got anything planned for Christmas Eve? Are you going to be able to honor me with your presence? ...And…yes, that'd be tomorrow night." he added in the same ironic tone. _

_Bellatrix gave him a surprised look and gasped._

_"What just crossed your mind, Bella? That I'm asking you out on a romantic dinner for two or something?" he laughed. "As I've already told you I'm deeply disappointed by you and that's the reason why I need you to be with me again tomorrow…Or better…___you___ need me…and now that I'm thinking about it… perhaps not just tomorrow… even the day after tomorrow…perhaps every day for the next month or even year…That depends on your behavior, of course." he stated enigmatically._

_"I'm not sure I …understand… my Lord…" she murmured anxiously unable follow his train of thought._

_"Please, Bella, don't make me regret the moment I chose you to serve me!" he exclaimed irritated._

_"Oh my Lord! I wouldn't want that!" Bellatrix hurried to say. She was overcome by fear once again. Voldemort losing his faith in her. The thing she feared more than anything in the world._

_"Of course…" he hissed and after a small pause he added demandingly "Follow me inside" and entered the dark room. He walked all the way to its other side and Bellatrix followed him. They stood in front of an enormous fireplace made of black marble and Voldemort lit a fire with a slight move of his wand. _

_Bellatrix blinked, trying to get used to the sudden glare of the fire and made a few steps to get closer to it, so she could warm up herself. She felt deeply grateful for him, at the moment, as she had frozen completely from the cold. T_he distinctly pleasurable _warmth of the fire_ swept through her body. The heat somewhat calmed her down and helped her gain some courage. Now that she had gotten used to the light she could observe freely the features of the man that was standing next to her. He was staring into the fire persistently, with a rather displeased look on his face and he didn't seem to pay much attention about what she was currently doing.

Although his features seemed somewhat deformed, he was still rather attractive, emitting a peculiar charm. His skin was oddly pale, almost transparent with all of his veins showing through, while his fingers were extraordinarily slim and long, skeleton-like. Dark, wavy hair framed his gaunt face and now that his head was inclined as he was watching the fire, a loose curl had fallen in front of it and caressed his thin lips. The lips she craved to taste more than anything…

Now, she set her eyes on the feature she considered as his most attractive... His eyes. Hauntingly beautiful and dark as charcoal… She was sure though, that she had seen some red highlights from time to time in them…

"You need training, Bella" he suddenly stated, turning his head so that his eyes immediately met hers and gave her a look full of contempt.

Bellatrix was taken aback by the unexpected breaking of silence and even more by his eyes staring straight into hers. She quickly lowered her look and she was ready to say something when Voldemort spoke again, interrupting her.

"Oh please don't tell me that you don't understand, again!" he said angrily.

Bellatrix's eyes opened wide in surprise. _But how? How does he…_

Voldemort laughed.

_"…know what you wanted to ask? How do I know, indeed? …___How can this be?... What if it is him?____What happened? How did I get here? ___" he said in a childish voice. "You are so naïve!" he added before she could respond. "Legilimency, Bellatrix! Ever heard of it? Or they do not teach anything useful in that school anymore?" _

_She was totally shocked. Her eyes were popped out and she was staring at him with her mouth open but she couldn't find anything to say that would not make her seem stupid. ___He can read my mind! How can I be so stupid? And before… oh no!__

_"What is it that you where thinking before, Bella?" he asked ironically, amused by the fact he could cause her so much frustration._

_She said nothing. Her mind was working feverishly. ___I must stop thinking. I must empty my mind.____Stop thinking. Stop…___ She tried to cast away every single thought she'd made in the last few minutes. The taste of his lips… His eyes…_

_"Oh don't bother! I don't care about what your little mind is thinking as long as it doesn't concern ___my ___safety and the success of our mission! I think I can trust you to that point. Am I right, Bellatrix?" _

_"Of course my Lord!" Bellatrix replied and a hesitant smile of relief was painted her lips. _

_"So… to the point!" Voldemort continued in a calmer tone "Can you please tell me now how indeed ___did you get there___?" he asked repeating Bellatrix's thoughts._

_Suddenly everything was crystal clear. Her smile disappeared. _

_"The Imperius Curse" she mumbled._

_"What did you say?...I didn't hear. Could you repeat, please?"_

_She took a deep breath and cleared her throat._

_"It was the Imperius Curse, my Lord." she repeated, louder this time._

_"Yes, Bellatrix. Of course it was! I casted the Imperius Curse on you. Could you please explain to me how did you let this happen? How can you be so stupidly naïve? How can you appear in the middle of a room where everything is dark, you see no one and still you don't take any precautions? You didn't even think to take out your wand! What if something had happened to me, Bellatrix? How can I count on you after that? How? How can I trust you, Bella?" he spat out angrily stressing his last sentence and Bellatrix thought for a moment that she'd heard a kind of despair in his voice. Despair and insecurity. He had probably heard it as well and when he spoke again his voice came out calmer._

_"Things are worse than I believed so, as I've already told you, you need to be trained. Exercised. And if I want to do it right ___I___ must be the one to train you." he concluded. _

_"Oh... But… that's an honor, my Lord!" Bellatrix said in excitement after she processed his words "Being trained by the master of the kind!" _

_"Don't get too excited, Bella" he retorted "You got me deeply disappointed today. I don't intend to ignore it." _

_ Bellatrix was sure she saw his eyes sparkle red. It was the first time it was happening when he referred to her and she was certain that this could not, by any means, be a good sign… He had turned his head away and was staring at the fire again, lost in his thoughts, looking frustrated. She didn't know if she had to say something. How she should react. So, she preferred to just stay there and say nothing. The _time was passing tortuously slowly but she had no other choice than stand still and wait for him to do something….

…But he wouldn't do anything. He seemed completely absorbed by his thoughts and she started feeling somewhat uncomfortable. Gradually, all the things that had happened that night began to unfold like a movie in front of her eyes. How stupidly she had reacted… and then the way she'd handled the whole situation was so… silly. She let him create a rather distorted image of who she really was. No… this was not her. She was not any weak little girl who didn't know how to fight, neither was she naïve. On the contrary, she was one of the best in her class when it came to dueling and she, certainly, knew really well how to protect herself. Only… _he _had to become aware of it! _Yes… the training will be my opportunity to show him who I really am. He'll certainly appreciate my dueling skills. _She thought in an attempt to convince herself and calm down._ …I've really messed things up… How stupid can I be?..._

She could feel a lump forming in her throat and tears began to well up in her eyes. Just the thought of him feeling let down by her behavior… it caused her so much pain. She strove to hold back her tears and make her thoughts go away. He shouldn't see her like that. This would only make things worse… No matter how much she struggled, a tear came from one of her eyes and slid all the way down her cheek. _No __**I **__am not like that! _ She said to herself though she could feel more unbidden tears running down her cheeks. She took a deep breath and began wiping them off with the back of her hand only to realize that this was not such a good idea. Voldemort had been distracted from his thoughts hearing her breath getting heavier and from the corner of his eye he had gotten a glimpse of her, moving. He turned his head slowly, looking rather annoyed by the interruption, to find her in tears.

At first he seemed to be taken aback by what he witnessed, but shortly after that a subtle smile formed on his lips. "I think it'd be better if you left now, Bellatrix." he said in his calmest tone and then added "We'll meet again tomorrow for your first lesson. Here. At midnight. Don't be late."

Bellatrix tried to say something but words would not come out. More tears fell, dampening her cheeks.

"Just go."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: At last I decided to update! I'm really sorry once a again for the delay but my free time was pretty limited over the last few months. A couple of weeks ago I decided to write again but I spent most of my time keeping notes about how the story is going to evolve. Anyway... again I don't like my writing in this chapter... plus, nothing really special happens... Can't wait to write the next chapters though. Ok. Enough with my delirium. Enjoy... (and don't forget to review! It really helps me to improve)**

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><p><strong>Chapter 5<strong>

"Ahhhh!"

Another wave of excruciating pain hit her. She had fallen on the cold floor made of dark stone for what seemed the millionth time that night. Her eyes got a glimpse of the crystal chandelier above her, right before she curled in on herself trying to bare the pain that had taken over her body.

When she arrived for her lesson at midnight, she felt more than ready to confront any kind of challenge her master would put her through. She was ready to endure anything that would in benefit him in any way. She didn't care at all if he would hurt her as long as it would serve a greater cause. If he thought that it was necessary, he had every right to cause her as much pain as he wished. It was a privilege that only _he_ was allowed to relish.

However, at the moment, the only thing she wanted was to make him stop. Her powers had abandoned her completely and she felt that she was about to faint. She couldn't take anymore, that was for sure. In her head there was only one thing right now, one simple phrase ringing _Make it stop! _ and all she could do was struggle to suppress her impulse to scream it out loud, knowing the unpleasant consequences it would have.

After a few moments that felt like decades, the wave of pain subsided. She remained still, in the same fetus position, breathing heavily. Every inch of her body was in pain and she didn't dare make a move. Hot tears were rolling down her face unstoppable, mixing with the blood that was coming out of her mouth, and were starting to form a small pool on the floor next to where her head was lying. She could neither speak nor think. Her head was pounding. All her energy had drained out of her. The idea of falling asleep on the cold floor seemed very appealing now. If only she could close her eyes, rest for a minute or two… But something inside her told her that such a thing would be sheer foolishness so she gathered her energies and focused her concentration solely on staying awake. She didn't even hear her master sighing above her; neither did she see him walking closer to her.

"If this was a real duel, I would have killed you… let me see… yes… 12 times now, Bellatrix" she heard him stating in his coldest tone. "Now get up, we are going to try something different"

Bellatrix was in such a state that she could not make any sense of his words. She just felt that she had to protest. She knew that what he told her was not good, that she couldn't do it. She tried to say something but it only came out as an incoherent mumble.

"What was that?" Voldemort demanded lowering his head to make sure he hears right.

She summoned all of her powers to slightly raise her head and all she finally managed to do was mutter a barely audible "Enough…" under her breath.

If she could see Voldemort's face she would notice the brief look of puzzlement that momentarily crossed it. It took him a couple of seconds to take in what he'd heard and after that small pause he finally replied.

"I'm afraid you have been confused as to what your role here is, Bellatrix" he heard his voice coming from afar, calm yet somewhat distorted, the way it was when he was trying to restrain his anger. "Now, get up"

His voice echoed demandingly in her head. She knew that she could not do anything else than follow his orders. Even if he didn't tell her anything she was well aware that no one could ever tell the Dark Lord what he should or should not do. It was a downright insult to his person. She didn't even know how she dared tell him to stop. She was just lucky he had decided to be lenient with her that day.

She was now feeling slightly better than a few minutes before. Her headache had been greatly reduced though all her limbs still felt numb and every move she made caused her a great deal of pain. Blood was still coming out of her mouth only its flow had slowed and her tears had dried completely. She slowly managed to raise her body in a sitting position and she mechanically put her hand in the pocket of her cloak to reach her wand. But it wasn't there. She wandered her look around the room, searching for it while images of the duel that had took place earlier started to flash before her eyes.

She… landing on the ground over and over again under Voldemort's full of contempt look. She didn't manage to hit him, not once except… except for the last time when she found herself lying helpless on the floor unable to take any more. But then… Where was her wand? Oh yes… He had disarmed her. Her eyes stopped on her master's left hand. There it was. Only a few inches away from her. She just now realized how close to her, her master was standing. She tried to get up only to find herself falling on the floor once more.

"I'm starting to lose my patience here, Bellatrix" Voldemort stated. His anger was obvious.

Bellatrix once again summoned all her powers and finally managed to stand up. She extended her arm in order to receive her wand making her ribs twinge but Voldemort didn't seem to bother giving it back.

"As you might have imagined what we've done so far was just a warm-up." he stated but judging by her confused look he added "What did you think Bellatrix? That I would waste such a great part of my time each day to teach you how to duel? It's about time you learnt some more useful things. The reason you are here because I want you to delve deep into the Dark Arts. I want you to conquer them. Master them the way I have."

There was a brief pause before Bellatrix finally responded

"I… I'm deeply honored by your words, my Lord but I could never be… as good as you" she said in difficulty making a painful grimace while rubbing her left shoulder where one of his curses had hit her.

"Don't be silly Bellatrix. I never expected you to do so and, please, don't interrupt me when I speak." he retorted obviously offended.

Bellatrix lowered her head in embarrassment and decided to keep her mouth shut from now on, open it only if she was asked something. She had come to the conclusion that she only made things worse every time she decided to speak. So when Voldemort told her that they were going to begin their Dark Arts lesson with practicing the Unforgivable Curses she found it pointless to point out that she was not in a physical state to have the Cruciatus Curse cast upon her, neither in the mental state to defend the Imperius Curse and above all she did not dare express her puzzlement as to where on Earth they would practice the Killing Curse in this vacant and isolated place. But when she heard Voldemort say that she was to cast the Cruciatus Curse upon him she could not help a desperate…

"I could never do this to you, my Lord!"

Voldemort let out a smirk before replying "Don't worry Bellatrix. Believe me; you will not manage to cause me as much pain as you think."

Bellatrix tried to say something but Voldemort hastily handed her back her wand "Enough Bellatrix. You are not here to judge my decisions, am I clear? Besides, I must ensure that you are doing it right. Now come on. Show me what you can do" and he walked all the way to the other side of the room.

Bellatrix could not but obey to his order so she quickly got into a dueling position and got a good grip on her wand.

However intimidating, she should admit she'd never done it before. She had never used an Unforgivable Curse on anyone. Not that she thought that it was not appropriate or anything like that, it just had never been necessary. She felt quite embarrassed about that and hoped that she would manage to cast it successfully, yet with all those contradicting feelings inside her, she doubted she would. She could not believe she was about to do this. Cause pain to her master. But if this was his wish then she could not but obey. And not just obey but manage to do it right. It would be a total disaster if she would not succeed.

Time was running out. Voldemort was standing there waiting for her to do what he had demanded and he would lose his patience if she would not respond immediately. So she decisively casted all her thoughts aside, cleared her throat and prepared herself for what was going to happen.

"Crucio!" she shouted and … nothing. Her wand did not respond, not even slightly… not even a faint glow came out… nothing. She quickly turned her head from her wand and looked at her master with a shocked expression, waiting for the worse. She was completely taken by surprise to see a smile painting on his lips.

"You've never used and Unforgivable curse before, have you Bellatrix?" he asked her in amusement.

She should feel relieved that he wasn't angry about it but instead she felt even more uncomfortable. She felt the familiar warmth of her blushed cheeks spreading on her face.

"No, my Lord. I haven't." she admitted in obvious humiliation and added "Never had to"

"And what if you had to?"

"I have no problem in using them if this is what you're asking, my Lord. I'm glad I finally have the chance to practice them. I always considered it silly that it was forbidden to learn about them in Hogwarts. But most things about Hogwarts are silly anyway…"

"That's great to hear Bellatrix. Now come on. Give it one more try. And, please, concentrate this time" he finally said and they both took their positions.

Their small conversation with Voldemort had calmed her down a little bit and since the pain she felt had subsided dramatically, it was a lot easier for her to focus on what she had to do._ I'll make it _

"Crucio!" she shouted once again. Now a bright red lightning beam emerged from her wand hitting Voldemort right in the chest, making him back off a few steps. However he didn't seem to be in any kind of pain. Bellatrix broke the spell and stared at him in wonderment.

"No Bellatrix… It was not good enough. It didn't hurt more than a bee sting. You can definitely do much more than a bee sting Bellatrix. Do it again. Focus!" he demanded

"Crucio!" she screamed once more. The same bright beam hit Voldemort. A painful look crossed his face and the moment Bellatrix realized it she immediately lowered her wand.

"Why did you stop? Did I tell you to stop?" he asked her furiously

"I sorry, my Lord, but you seemed to feel rather …uncomfortable" she exclaimed

"Of course I felt uncomfortable Bellatrix! You were casting the Cruciatus Curse on me! Did you expect me to feel pleased about it?" he retorted sarcastically

"I'm so sorry, my Lord" she apologized with her cheeks now blazing.

"However, it was better this time but still…" he didn't finish his sentence as he seemed to get lost in his thoughts for a moment but shortly after he added "You see, Bellatrix, there is a simple rule you need follow in order to cast these curses successfully…You have to _mean_ them, Bella. You need to _really_ want to cause pain –to enjoy it!" he said in fascination looking straight into her eyes.

Bellatrix steadily looked him back and remained silent for a while to take in his words. "With all due respect, my Lord, but… I would never want to cause you pain. How could I ever want such a thing?" she said selecting her words very carefully. She didn't want to get him angry again now he had decided to show leniency.

"You are missing the point Bellatrix. You must enjoy causing pain in general, not specifically on the person you cast the spell. You need to get joy from torturing people. To gain pleasure from it. Only then you can reach its full potency" he explained and his eyes flashed red for a second.

"I think I understand, my Lord. So shall we try it again?" she dared ask

"Of course. But first tell me Bellatrix, can you name one person that you truly despise? A person that you would enjoy torturing?"

The first think that came to her mind was Rodolphus. He had become really annoying these last days. However, she didn't think he was the right choice for that. No, she did not by any means wish to torture him. He hadn't done anything that would deserve this kind of treatment. At least… not yet. So she answered the next thing that came to her mind, and that she was certain she truly despised if not get disgusted by it.

"Some mudblood I suppose. Not someone specific. Just all of them. They all deserve to be tortured… to death" she replied and anger started growing inside her.

"Oh! Of course!" Voldemort stated in agreement, satisfied by her reply "Now, tell me, Bellatrix… Would a half-blood do?"

For a moment Bellatrix got puzzled by this weird question but with her anger now boiling she responded without giving it much thought.

"Of course, my Lord. Sometimes I can't decide which is worse. Someone born by two filthy Muggles or the offspring of a pure-blood wizard that has deliberately chosen to breed with a scum…"

"Then… please, do proceed" Voldemort's hollow voice echoed.


	6. Chapter 6

_**A/N: Hello again! :) Finally I decided to update after some time... I might become tiring repeating that but, yes, once again I don't like how this chapter has turned out. Generally I don't really like the way my story is evolving because I had planned it to turn out differently...Plus this chapter might bore you a little since nothing major is going on... I don't even know why I'm uploading it anyway... I guess I don't have the courage to delete it after all this time I've spent writing it...Anyway... A big thanks to all of you that took the time to review my story and of course to all of you who added it to your story alerts and (to my great surprise!) favorites! Thank you! **_

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><p><strong>Chapter 6<strong>

"Not now Rodolphus…" she said in a low voice in an almost begging tone.

"Please, my love, tell me what happened? What did he do to you?" Rodolphus insisted following her all the way to her bedroom.

The moment she reached the door she stopped walking and turned around abruptly, Rodolphus almost tripping over her.

"Please Rodolphus, I'm exhausted! Leave me alone I need to get some rest" she continued in the same tone and she was about to turn around and walk into the room when she decided to add "And don't you dare blame the Dark Lord again! Ever! He'd never do anything to harm me"

"But Bella…"

Bellatrix walked in the room and slammed the door behind her leaving Rodolphus' sentence unfinished. She went to her bed and lied on her side with her clothes on. She didn't even have the courage to undress herself. She would gladly fall asleep but her thoughts made it impossible.

She tried to put them in some order. Nothing made sense. The only thing she was sure of was that she finally managed to cast a successful Cruciatus Curse. And not just successful but really powerful as well. More powerful that she had expected. More powerful than her master had predicted. It was the first time she saw him suffer. The first time she saw him being in actual pain even if it was only for a very brief moment. For the tiniest space of time. But she saw it. The painful expression that had spread all over his face. The red highlights in his eyes. His momentary silent plea for relief. His vulnerability. And that was what brought her back to reality.

She could not explain it but before that, she had been in a state of some kind of blind rage. After she heard her master's words she lost control. She wasn't herself. Rage took over and as a result came this powerful spell that none of them could have foreseen. Of course, Voldemort's intention was to make her angry, to make her want to cause pain. But his words… all the things she had told her, had a greater impact than he had thought, probably a greater impact than he had wanted. Her passion for blood purity, her loathing for all the blood traitors had proven to be immeasurably powerful. Powerful enough to even, briefly, overcome her adoration for her master. The moment she realized this, that tiny moment she saw him suffer, suffer because of her, of her own actions and only, was enough to make her hate herself more than she had ever hated anyone in her life. Even the thought of it was enough to make her sick.

In her mind it was like he had betrayed him. And this was one thing she thought she would never allow to happen. By the time she got the Dark Mark she had promised to herself that her only purpose in life would be to serve her Lord, to remain faithful to him no matter what. He was above anything for she belonged to him. She was his eternally. She could not believe she could break it so easily, so quickly. All she could feel was revulsion. Revulsion for her impulsiveness, for this weakness she knew that she would certainly pay for, one day, revulsion for her bad-temper, revulsion for her immaturity, for her stupidity, revulsion for her whole self.

She had broken the spell as soon as she had gotten back to reality and all she could do was mutter a barely audible "Forgive me, my Lord" only to get silenced by his words that coldly praised her for the effectiveness of her spell. After that there had been a few moments of awkward silence like both of them expected to hear something from the other and then Bellatrix dared to ask him if she could leave. She did not fully understand why this puzzled expression had spread all over his face. It was like he had heard something he had not expected. As if he thought she would want to talk with him about something. His reply had come after a few seconds in a low calm tone "If that is what you want…" and it was her turn to get surprised and confused. She did not have the courage though to ask for further analyzing as she had never felt as exhausted before. So after a brief bow and a whispered "Goodnight, my Lord" she had apparated to the hallway of her house and Rodolphus was following her demanding to know what had happened.

And there she was, lying on her bed, trying hopelessly to put some order into the chaos that reigned in her mind. _Let's start from the basics_ she thought.

_We dueled. He beat me. He beat me several times and then… then we would get to the real training. The Dark Arts. He wanted me to delve into the Dark Arts. We would start from the Unforgivable Curses. I had never casted any Unforgivable Curse before. So humiliating… and then… he asked me to cast the Cruciatus Curse on him… on him… Why? It doesn't make any sense. Exposing his vulnerabilities is so unlike him. Vulnerability is a human weakness. He doesn't like being weak. Something is wrong here, something's really wrong… However he demanded that I cast it upon him. _

_I tried. I failed, of course I failed…and then I failed again. Yeah right… I have to mean it. I have to want to cause pain, to enjoy it… How could I ever want to cause pain to him and on top of that, enjoy it? …Another contradiction. He knows that pretty well. I could never cause pain to him and of course trying to cast the Cruciatus Curse for the first time on him would never be an easy thing for me… probably the worst way to practice my skills, yet he insisted… What if he just wanted to test me? To see how far I would go for him…How long I could stand before breaking…To see if I could obey him even when it came to something as difficult as that… But I could never disobey him either… He knew that as well. So… he just decided to play with me? Use me to amuse himself? See me suffer? No way. That would definitely be a strange thing to do given the fact he wants to train me. He wouldn't waste his time just for fun… Why then? Why?_

_And then he asked me to think of something that would enrage me so I could succeed in casting the curse. Muggles. That was my answer. Filthy Muggles. He then said something about half-bloods. If a half-blood should do. Yes, that's what he asked. Of course it would. Half-bloods are equally disgusting. And then I was free to proceed. Everything happened so quickly. It wasn't me. Anger… there was anger, eyes flashing red and… vulnerability. Vulnerability, one thing I would never expect to see in him. And then it was disgust… and hate… immeasurable hate, for my actions… for myself. I hurt him... I hurt him! It was I the cause of this vulnerability, of this painful, broken face, of his suffering… Though it was he that allowed me to do so, that requested I did so. No … he did not expect me to succeed… That was it. He did not expect me to succeed! And then what? ... He would intimidate me? Punish me? What?_

_He did not expect me to succeed. What was this all about then? I'm missing something… What happened next? …What happened? … … _

_He praised me. Then he remained silent until I dared to ask him if I could leave. He did not immediately reply instead he was staring not uttering a word like he was expecting something from me… An awkward moment of silence. "If that is what you want"… These were his words… If that was what I wanted… What else could I possibly want? Keep practicing? Keep making him suffer? Certainly not. Ask about something? That'd be possible… Ask about something…Ask… about what? The reason why he asked me to Crucio him probably… or not? I could not ask that… When I tried to object he got angry. I should not question his decisions. That's what he told me. Then what was it? _

A terrible headache pounded in her head now. She wanted to scream. She needed to find the answer. It was a rather uncomfortable situation she had been in and she didn't like looking stupid in the eyes of her master. She desperately needed to get some rest but she knew that sleep wouldn't come unless she found the answer. The headache was getting heavier. She turned to lie on her back when it hit her. She gasped for air unable to breathe from the shock and she had begun to feel dizzy until she finally managed to take a decent breath. She stared blankly at the tester of her bed unable to take in the thought she'd just made. She could feel her limbs numbing from the terror. Her breathing was still abnormal and she put a lot of effort to normalize it. She raised herself in a sitting position in order to breathe more easily.

_No it can't be. It shouldn't be. It's impossible! Absurd! Totally illogical, yet everything else makes total sense. But no… _

She could feel her world totally falling apart by the realization of what she had just discovered. Everything was collapsing and she couldn't find anything to hold onto. The more she thought about it the more insane it sounded but at the same time so logical. It explained everything else, at a satisfactory level at least, yet it simply couldn't be. Of course she could not be certain about it. It was just a thought, just a simple assumption, a guess. She shouldn't take it for granted. However, only one word now haunted her mind … _Half-blood. _

"_Please then, do proceed" … "If that is what you wish" "Would a half-blood do?" "Tell me, Bellatrix…" "Would a half-blood do?" "Please then, do proceed" "Would a half-blood do?"… _

She opened her eyes in shock, hearing her own scream. She must have slept for a couple of hours. She could see the dim light of the rising sun from the small opening between the dark velvet curtains on the opposite wall. She probably had collapsed by all the tension her thoughts had caused.

She slowly raised herself, sat on the edge of the bed and finally got up. She looked her reflection in the full body mirror in front of her. She looked like a total mess. Several bruises scattered in all the visible parts of her body, on her face, neck, arms… Her hair was all crazy flying in all directions. There was still some dried blood on the side of her mouth.

She carefully undid her corset and then removed her dress in order to obtain a full view of her injuries. She almost gasped in the sight of the huge dark bruise that spread on her right ribs. She certainly must have cracked if not broken some of them. More bruises revealed, mostly on the upper part of her body as well as a few stray cuts here and there. She turned around so she could examine her back. The image did not differ much than that of her front part, only there were a lot more scratches, result of her falling repeatedly on the rough, bumpy, stone floor.

As she turned around to face the mirror again her eyes were caught by the dark mark on her left arm that contrasted with her pale skin. She brought it closer to her face and stared at it. She didn't know what it meant for her right now. Could she just lose her faith so easily? She had given a promise after all. With this Mark she had made an oath. One she could not break. Where was all this enthusiasm she had when she finally managed to be a part of Voldemort's army? Where was all her dedication? Her loyalty?

In a few hours everything had turned upside down and she could not make her mind about anything. She wanted so desperately someone to tell her what was true and what wasn't… someone to tell her what she had to do… someone she could rely on. She wanted someone to hold her and show her the way, to reassure her that everything would turn out to be okay in the end. She couldn't help being without a lead…Tears run freely down her face forming streams and she did not make any effort to prevent them from falling. She watched her reflection crying, lying on the floor, hugging herself and staying there until there were no more tears left. _So weak… _

_He is the Dark Lord! How can I reject him? I'm supposed to serve his cause. His cause! To fight off Muggles and blood traitors! This is part of his cause isn't it? So what if he is a half-blood himself? That does not make him a blood traitor! He is not like the rest of them. It's not like it was his choice after all. He knows that purebloods must prevail. He hates blood traitors twice as much as any pureblood does. He's inferior to all of us and I dared… I dared doubt him! Doubt him!_

The familiar feeling of self-loathing flooded her once again. She decisively stood up, her face grimacing in pain, and after taking a brief gaze of herself in the mirror she walked to the bathroom on the far side of the room. _Maybe I deserve this torment after all. _

She turned the faucet on and let water fill the bathtub while she removed the rest of her clothing. When she entered the tub a pleasurable sensation spread through her body as the lukewarm water embraced it, soothing her pain. She stayed there for a few moments allowing herself to relax and then meticulously scrubbed her entire body making sure to clean the last of the dried blood from her wounds. When she was satisfied with the result she got out, grabbed the first towel she found and wrapped it around her body.

She wore a plain black silk long dress and after drying her hair with the usual spell she exited her room heading towards the kitchen. She knew she wouldn't be able to sleep any longer and her stomach was rumbling with hunger so she decided she should order the house elf to serve her some breakfast. When she went down the staircase she was surprised to find Rodolphus awake, sitting in an armchair on the far side of the living room. She was in no state to have a conversation with him so she proceeded to the kitchen pretending she had not seen him.

"Vinnie, I want my breakfast ready in ten minutes!" she ordered to a weary house elf that was sweeping the kitchen floor at the time.

"Yes Ma'am! Vinnie we'll get Mistress's breakfast prepared at once!" the house elf replied bowing low and hurried to complete the task.

Bellatrix threw herself into one of the chairs and rested her head on her arms thinking about what she should do. She needed to get some answers but she didn't want to hurry things and mess it up. She wanted to meet her master. She had so many things she wanted to ask though she was not sure if it would be a good idea. He might get offended or angry. She'd better wait until their next lesson.

"It's a bit early for you to be awake isn't it Bella?" she heard a cold voice coming from the door behind her. _Not again! ... _

"This goes for you as well, does it not… Rod?" she sarcastically retorted.

Rodolphus stepped further into the room and sat on a chair next to her.

"Would your Excellency have the kindness to honor me with a conversation this time?" he replied in the same tone and turned his head to face her.

Bellatrix rolled her eyes sighing and looked him back.

"What do you want from me?" she asked exasperatedly.

His look softened and he took her one hand in his own before she had the time to take it away.

"Please, Bella, why do we have to argue all the time? I'm sick of this! If I'm being tiring with constantly asking questions is merely because I care about you. I can't stand being here all alone not knowing where you are and what's going on."

"Oh please Rodolphus, I can surely take care of myself. I've told you that the Dark Lord had requested to see me. I was with him and I'll be with him again this night and the next one and so on for as long as he asks me to. Would you think he would ever let anything bad happen to me?" she dryly replied trying to take her arm away but he tightened his grip.

"Then why are you like that?" he raised his voice "all bruised up, like you've been tortured? And your eyes… red…Have you been crying? Bella, your mother keeps asking why you left like that the other day and why you didn't show up again last night. What am I supposed to tell them? Even if you think you are capable of taking care of yourself, can't you for once realize what you put those who love you through? Can't you for once act like a grown up and stop being such an egoist?"

His words stung her like a slap in the face. She opened her mouth to reply something hurtful but she regretted it. She hesitated. The fact that there were other people that were concerned about her hadn't crossed her mind until now. His words had completely taken her off guard. After a long pause she finally spoke.

"The Dark Lord has offered to train me. We were dueling. You know that he wouldn't let anything serious happen to me. If you don't trust me, then trust him. I was with him because I serve his cause, our cause. You can't blame me for this. Tell this to my parents the next time they ask you. I don't care about what they'll think. They might not like our master's practices, yet we all share the same ideology. I am old enough to have the right to choose my own path."

She lowered her gaze to the table and with a distracted voice added "You needn't worry…"

Rodolphus loosened his grip and with one hand gently pulled her chin so she was forced to look him in the eye.

"It's ok, Bella. I'm sorry I didn't mean to talk to you like this. I know it's for the good of our cause, for our master. I would never doubt his intentions. It's just as I've told you that I worry so much about you. I can't stand the idea of anything happening to you. You know how much I love you."

Why was he doing this to her? He knew how she felt about this. She could never share the same feelings, for her heart belonged elsewhere. However, when he leaned and kissed her she did not pull back. She kissed him back as gently and tenderly as he did. It was her way of compensating for what she'd done. After some long seconds Rodolphus broke the kiss and looked deep down her eyes with affection. Bellatrix opened her mouth to speak but she was cut off.

"Your breakfast is ready, Mistress" said Vinnie in a squeaky voice and put a big tray with food on the table in front of her.

"Ahh!"

"What is it, love?" Rodolphus asked worriedly. Bellatrix had tried to move herself in her chair so she could eat her breakfast properly, but the huge bruise on her ribs had stung her so intensely she couldn't help a stifled scream.

"Oh, it's nothing Rod. It's just a bruise on my ribs. Nothing serious." she replied under her breath, but the painful expression on her face gave her away.

"For Merlin's sake, Bella! You need to go to bed immediately. What do you think you are doing walking around the house like that? Quickly, finish your breakfast and I'll take you upstairs. I need to see how bad it is"

Bellatrix was not in the mood to argue so she obediently ate her breakfast and allowed him to help her get upstairs yet not carry her as he had insisted. He helped her change into her nightgown and after she lied on the bed he sat next to her.

"I'm afraid it might be more than just a bruise, Bella" he said nervously as he examined the purple mark on her ribs. "Here, I don't know much about healing but this might do some good" he added as a ray of light came out his wand, making the bruise fade a little. "Are you feeling any better?"

"Yes Rod, thanks." she responded as the pain wore off a little and forced a small smile.

"I'm glad" he said smiling and planted a kiss on her forehead. "Oh! Almost forgot it! Wait. I'll be back in a few" he added in excitement and hurriedly exited the room.

She watched him leave thinking that lately she had found herself surrendering in his treatments more than she would normally allow. However displeasing, she had to admit that a part of her enjoyed it. In his arms she felt a feeling of safety and warmth she had long forgotten. On the other hand though there were times she simply wanted him to get lost. He could be so annoying, wanting to know everything that was going on…

The exhausting night she had gone through had finally started to take its toll on her. She could feel her eyelids get heavier and the moment he returned she had already fallen into a deep, dreamless, sleep.

He smiled when he realized she had fallen asleep. He walked in the room as silently as he could and carefully placed the rectangle box he held in his arms on the bedside table next to her head. He then lied next to her and gently pulled her into a spoon hug. He softly stroked her hair and got his head closer to her ear kissing her temple.

"Merry Christmas, my love" he whispered.


End file.
